Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday flagged off 30 vans named ‘Jan Amantran’ vehicles here with an aim to invite people to attend the February 7 dedication of the Rs35,000-crore oil refinery project of the IOCl at Paradip to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Pradhan said the aim of running these vehicles was to reach out to people highlighting the welfare schemes and activities being undertaken by the Modi-led NDA Government at the Centre, besides inviting people to attend the dedication ceremony in huge numbers.
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had laid the foundation stone for the project in 2001.
“This project was initiated by then PM Vajpayee, and it’s a matter of pride that it would be commissioned by PM Narendra Modi,” Pradhan said.
After the Haldia refinery, the Paradip refinery would be the biggest and most modern refinery in the eastern India, Pradhan said.
Hoping that Odisha would be in the top economic position one day, the Union Minister said a petrochemicals complex would also be set up at a cost of Rs35,000 crore along with many more industries.
With these projects, a lot of employment would be generated in the State, he added.
A total of 30 vans would move in the State’s 30 districts to campaign for developmental projects introduced by the Central Government and the IOCl projects also.
Executive Director In-Charge of the Paradip Refinery Project Ramjee Ram, IOC GM KK Sharma and GM (CC and CSR) Dr Ajit Pathak were present, among others.